A City of Villages

The report, to be launched at the TCPA on Tuesday 24th September, was commissioned to address concerns raised during consultation on the Mayor's initial proposals for the London Plan that it focused too heavily on central and inner London.

The report suggests a range of policies both to address the problems of success such as congestion - and to head off the risk of decline. For all suburbs it sets out policies to improve environmental sustainability by reducing car dependency, tackling energy use and increasing recycling rates.

The policies are based upon a suburban spatial strategy focused on the 200 or so local centres in suburban London with a range of facilities and good public transport accessibility. It suggests that walk-in zones or 'Ped Sheds' be designated around these centres and that development should be concentrated in these areas.

'The fear had been that, since suburbs had grown as a result of people moving out of the centre, the renaissance of the centre could lead to suburban decline', URBED director, David Rudlin, will say on Tuesday. However, 'the research did not find evidence of serious suburban decline even on the large council estates'.

This however was largely a result of the strength of the London economy as a whole. London's suburbs, the report concludes, have much to offer towards the Mayor's vision of London as an 'exemplary sustainable world city'. By building upon the sustainable development policies in the draft London Plan successful suburbs have the potential to develop as thriving urban villages. But, inaccessible, less fashionable suburbs with poor quality environments and weak local centres run the risk of decline.

At the launch David Rudlin said 'this amounts to, what in the US would be called a 'smart growth' campaign to concentrate growth in high accessibility locations. It is uniquely suited to London which is a great city of small villages'.